Chapter 20
MAKSIM
Iwrap my arms around her in the shower, gently sliding side to side as though we’re dancing to music.
She sinks back against me, head tilted, eyes closed contentedly as the water drips down our bodies.
I’m hard again, my cock pushing against her back, but I try to remember what she said about needing time.
She’s probably sore. I can’t blame her. That sex was wild and explosive and so hot, I’m still reeling.
She looks up at me with an almost shy smile on her face, reading my thoughts. “I can’t have sex,” she says, with emphasis.
I smirk, smoothing my hand down her wet body and finding her clit. When I press down, she says, “Maksim.” And I know what she means. I lessen the pressure. Make my touch light and gently stroke as we rock together.
She turns, facing me. I touch her clit again, as softly as I can, my gaze fixed on her so I can watch the pleasure take hold of her face and reverberate through her body. She wraps her hand around my cock, sending precome surging to my tip.
We stare at each other as we work our hands, as we sink into this tamer, but still fiery pleasure. I get hotter and closer when her eyes start to flutter, a flush taking hold of her cheeks. She looks small and raw with the shower water sending makeup down her face.
She breaks against me, collapsing against my chest, but her hand doesn’t stop moving. I gasp as a hot stream of come fires up my manhood and surges against her stomach.
After, I fall against the shower wall, taking her with me, gasping at the force of it.
She smiles confidently with a visible sense of victory. I imagine her thinking, Now I’m in charge of the Bratva king… But then I remember, with a gut-wrenching ache, she doesn’t even know that’s who I am.
I pull her tighter into my arms, stroking my hand down her back.
The next morning, I’m beating the hell out of one of Vale’s men who claims to have no idea where Daniel Mercer is.
I’m in the basement of one of our bars. The lowlife is strung up, moaning, blood dripping down his face.
He’s fair game since, when we raided his apartment, we found some seriously twisted shit on full display.
The type of thing that puts him on the no-mercy list.
“If you don’t know where Mercer is,” I say, stepping back and wiping my hand on a rag. “You can tell us how close Vale is to making use of the phone.”
The man’s mouth opens and closes slowly. To think, just hours ago I was waking next to Lia, a sweet sleepy smile on her lips, and now I’m doing this.
“He doesn’t tell us stuff like that,” the man groans. “We just… handle the dark stuff.”
“The dark stuff like that photo album we found?” Nikolai snaps, walking up beside me. “That sort of stuff?”
“That’s my personal life,” he says.
Anton grunts. “Personal life got you killed.”
I shake my head in disgust. “Keep working. If he gives you nothing, end him.”
What I don’t add is, And even if he does, end him too.
I’ve got a sour taste in my mouth as Nikolai and I go upstairs and clean off. I change into a fresh shirt I brought, then have the kitchen make us a couple of sandwiches.
“We’re not normally this slow,” I say.
Nikolai raises an eyebrow. “You mean, I’m not normally this slow.”
I shrug. He’s not wrong. “Those women troubles have got you distracted.”
He snorts.
“What?” I snap.
“You’re one to talk,” he says.
“Don’t bring Lia into this. That’s different. She’s not affecting my work. She’s... she’s different, okay? When this mess is over, I’m going to ask her to stay at the townhouse, long term.”
“What—why?”
“I just told you. She’s different. I didn’t think a man like me could find one, then I met her. Does it have to be more complicated than that?”
“So, you love her?”
“Calm down. We’re not making a romantic comedy here.”
“What does it even mean, then?” he demands.
“I just said. I was one man and now, I’m another.”
“If that isn’t love,” he says, “I’m not sure the word has any meaning.”
Our sandwiches arrive, ending the conversation. The bar is empty except for us and the Bratva-affiliated staff. Downstairs, the Vale man squeals out, just about audible. I’m halfway through the sandwich when my phone vibrates.
It’s Lia. Her words send a cold chill through me.
Lia: He’s dead.
I try to call her immediately. She rejects the call and sends me a text.
Lia: I don’t want to talk to you right now. I’m afraid I’ll say things I might regret. MIGHT regret, Maksim.
Maksim: Who’s dead?
Lia: Who do you think! It’s all over the news.
“Turn on the TV,” I tell the barman.
“… violent crime of a sickening nature,” the reporter is saying, standing outside an apartment complex surrounded by police tape.
“The details are still emerging, but sources close to the scene tell us the victim is twenty-three-year-old Daniel Mercer, a delivery driver who, we’re told, was in debt to some as-yet unnamed figures. ”
I slam my fist on the table so hard the plates leap up and a glass falls to the floor, shattering.
“Fuck,” I growl.
I try to call Lia again. She rejects it again.
Lia: Whoever that poor man was, he didn’t deserve this.
He didn’t deserve any of this! You need to explain what’s going on.
Who you are. Information, you said. But this is more than information.
This is wrong. You need to tell me everything, or I swear to God, the first place I’m going after work is the police station.
Nikolai is watching me, eyes narrowed.
“People die in this world, brother,” he says, when I glare at him.
“He was a goddamn civilian.”
“He stole from us,” Nikolai says flatly.
“Are you saying you were behind this?”
“Have you lost your mind?” Nikolai snaps. “We’ve been looking for him. How could I be behind this? If I’d found him, I would’ve told you. Or maybe this girl has twisted your head up that much. Maybe she’s got you doubting your own flesh and blood.”
I rush forward, furious. Haul him to his feet and shove him against the bar.
“Keep her name out of your goddamn mouth.”
He smirks in classic Nikolai fashion. “I don’t believe I used her name, big brother.”
“You know what I mean.” I give him a shake. “You’ve been absent, distracted. And now this.”
“Let me go,” he grunts. When I don’t, he gives me a look I know well. If I don’t let him go, we’ll fight. Whatever else is happening, a fight with Nikolai is the last thing I need. We’re both skilled fighters and we love each other too much for it, anyway.
I release him. “Handle this. Get the police report. We need to know what happened. Conrad must be desperate if he’s resorting to this.”
“Maybe we pissed him off by hanging around his businesses instead of intimidating him.”
“Sort it out, Nikolai.”
“You still trust me enough for that?” he says ironically.
I clap him on the arm. A display of endearment, and a small explosion of rage.
“You know I do,” I snap. “After all we’ve been through, I can’t doubt you. You know that.”
He nods sagely. “Good—yeah, that’s good to know. I was beginning to worry there.”
“We’re blood,” I say. “We’re all each other has got. Now, go.”
I text Lia as Nikolai walks away.
Maksim: Don’t do that. We need to talk in person.
Lia: Did you know this could happen? Or are you behind this? Is it that bad, Maksim? Did you get so angry that he stole your precious phone that you decided you had to do this? Did you do it yourself?
Maksim: Slow down. We can’t discuss this over the phone. But no, Lia, this wasn’t me.
Lia: But you know who it was. This is how your world works. I’ve had my head buried in the sand, but that’s over now. That boy had my brother’s face, Maksim, his freckles, his presence. The news is saying he was in debt and he was just doing his best. This is plain wrong.
Maksim: What time does your shift end? I’ll pick you up. We’ll talk about this.
A long pause. My foot taps on the floor. I feel the bartender looking at me, but he quickly averts his gaze when I look over.
Lia: I’m only agreeing to this if you agree to the total truth. Otherwise, I’m going to force you to kill me too.
I close my eyes, breathing slowly. The thought sickens me. The idea that she’d ever think I could do that. I’d burn this whole city to the ground, take my own goddamn life, before harming a single hair on her head.
Maksim: The total truth. I swear.